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Blah

Blah is exactly how I’m feeling now that I’m back to work after a spectacular week in Mexico. There’s something about coming back from vacation that makes work extra miserable. Of course, my AC stopped working last night, which makes it even worse. I just hate not being busy and being hot. It’s not a great combination for me. Fortunately, I’ve been able to get some work down in our room during my downtime.

While everything is feeling blah, I’m pretty excited about my new bird feeder. It’s got a camera! I set it up with the hubby’s help on Sunday afternoon. It’s so cool! The video quality is higher than our ring. Also, it’s really fun to see the birds and critters up close. We’ve consistently had the grackles, blue jays, and squirrels at the new feeder. I’m pretty sure the squirrel is a hoarder. He likes to fill up his cheeks, disappear, and then come back. The close-up view gives you a chance to appreciate the beautiful colors and patterns on the birds.

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

My favorite is Christmas! I love all the baking, family time, and laughing. It’s always fun to host brunch. Later in the day, we usually play games. It’s a great time.

Apparently, it’s” long list of ex-lovers” not star-crossed or Starbucks lovers
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My Tribe

I’ve spent the last week in paradise with what has become my tribe. This group of incredible women that I’ve come to know over the last six years is amazing. We came together from all walks of life and locations, yet our understanding, love and support of each others as mothers and women is unmatched. I’m so blessed to have not only met these women, but to have come friends with them.

Paradise, Tulum, was absolutely incredible. It’s a not a place a soon forget. And one that I hope I will be able to return to soon. I’ll write more about that later. I made it home late last night and right in time for PurpleStride. While I didn’t love the 4:30 am wake up, the chance to be with my PanCan people, my tribe was another blessing. As I got to the event I was filled with a sense of contentment. How lucky am I that I spent a week with My tribe in Mexico and came home to spend my morning with my PanCan family. I’m blessed to have found my people.

PurpleStride is PanCan’s marquis event and our largest fundraiser of the year. Today it’s happening all across the country, less Colorado where the event was cancelled due to protestors and the inability to ensure our participants safety. Our event was amazing. The vibe was positive and the turnout was incredible. We could have done with less wind, but alas we can’t control the weather. Nevertheless, it was another successful event! If only I didn’t have to go back to work on Monday…

What are your favorite emojis?

My favorite emojis to use when crafting any text or social media post are the face with tears of joy and loudly crying face.

By the way, you can still contribute to PurpleStride, by donating here.

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Excited!!!

Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind.

Excited!!! In less than 24 hours, I’ll be well on my way to paradise. I cannot wait to unplug and chill with some of my favorite people. I’ve finally started to pack. My goal for this trip is to use only a carry-on for the trip. This is a big step for me as I’m a consummate over-packer. As I type this, I’m sitting on my packing cube to try and flatten it. I’m choosing to be an optimist in this endeavor.

One thing I’m not excited about is that a raccoon found Bella the duck’s nest. When I took Anakin out this morning Bella was uncharacteristically sitting in the road. Our neighbor Mark picked her up and Carrie has been nursing her back to health. Meanwhile, I found some broken eggs around the tree. A few eggs were remaining, which are now with Bella at our neighbor’s house. Anyway, I better get back to packing!

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Let’s Go!

Let’s go! Less than 24 hours until I check into my flight for Momcation!! Honestly, pretty soon I’ll be counting down the minutes. I cannot wait to spend a week relaxing and doing nothing with some of my favorite people. I’ve completed my packing list, so now I have to start packing. Well, first I should probably finish my laundry. Since I’m packing light, I’ve decided to bring no makeup. This is a big step even though I wore no makeup last year. I had it if I needed it.

Speaking of laundry, I love my new washing machine. It’s so quiet! Our old washer sounded like it was about to take off or vibrate through the wall. It was so loud that Athena would start barking back at it. Apparently, the loud washer presented a threat to all of our safety. It wasn’t a safety threat, but it was an annoyance. We would have to turn up the TV every time we did the wash. Now you can’t hear it all from the family room.

Speaking of things that need replacing, I’ve decided to hold off on replacing the broken bird feeder. Once I get back from vacation, I’m going to buy a feeder that includes a camera. Right now I can’t watch the birds unless I’m sitting in my living room. If I get a feeder that has a camera, I’ll be able to watch it from anywhere. Additionally, it will help us identify all the birds and animals that have become a part of our menagerie.

Idiom of the day: every path has its puddles.

Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

When the boys were small, we would go grocery shopping at Target every Saturday morning. This particular trip had been particularly difficult with not one child cooperating. By the time I made it to the cash register, I was exasperated. I paid for my groceries and was about to leave when I realized I had forgotten to put the milk on the conveyor. By this time, the cashier was ready to move on to the next customer.

This beautiful older woman behind me in line must have seen the fatigue and exasperation on my face. Consequently, she immediately offered to put the milk on her ticket, so I didn’t have to get back in line. It was a small gesture and the milk cost a little over $2.00, but her kindness has stuck with me. Little acts of kindness go a long way.

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48 Hours

In less than 48 hours, I will be embarking on Momcation 5.0. I cannot wait!! First of all, I can’t wait to see all the girls and meet the two new moms. Second, I have no responsibility for the entirety of the trip, which is amazing. Lastly, I love exploring and enjoying paradise. In the end, it’s a trip that is good for the soul. I can’t wait!

This is the fifth Momcation I’ve attended. Last year, we went to Puerto Vallarta, which was magical. In 20222, we ventured to Turks & Caicos, which I love. We were supposed to go there in 2020, but we all know how that went. Before the pandemic, we visited the Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos (North Caicos.). Every location has been spectacular in its own way, so I’m looking forward to what this year’s destination will bring.

I am hoping, after I leave in 48 hours, that the Mayor and the hubby will remember to feed the birds and water my tomato. The birds have become quite accustomed to their morning feast at our house. They don’t even go into stealth mode or fly away when I walk outside now. We wouldn’t want to disappoint them or the squirrels. The tomato plant is now fruiting, so it would suck to lose it while I’m gone. I’m sure the puppies will also miss being spoiled by their mama.

Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

I think the biggest decision that has helped me grow was to stop looking for happiness outside of myself. Other people can bring joy and momentary happiness, but I’m talking about the deep rooted happiness with one’s life and one’s self. At the end of the day, we can only control ourselves. Now back to working on my doodle. I’m not at all artistic, but I have found doodling and coloring throughout the day helps keep my spirits high and my mind engaged.

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Menagerie

Our front yard menagerie was hopping again this morning. They must have had an awesome time. Incredibly, they completely knocked down and broke one of the birdhouses. I wish we had cameras, so we could see how they broke the birdhouse. I’m sure it was broken from a rash movement or a fight over the feeder.

It’s become quite the little community at our feeders. The dogs and I enjoy watching all the animals. While I enjoy watching them, I know the puppies are dying to go out and chase them. On the other side of the house, we have a duck nest in the agave. She’s managed to tuck it in between the bushes so that it’s barely visible. We should have babies sometime soon. They’ll add to the overall cuteness of the menagerie.

I’m going to see if the Hubby can fix the birdhouse, so we can put it back in front of the window. The smaller birds liked the more protected feeder closer to the house versus the larger lantern feeder. If we can’t fix it, I’ll have to replace it with another feeder. I want to make sure the painted buntings keep visiting. They’re so pretty!

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

The only place I wouldn’t visit is an active war zone. I’d like to explore the world and see every continent, but as safely as possible. The current political climate makes travel to some parts of the world too dangerous, which is sad.

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Ho Hum

Ho Hum, what an appropriate title for a shit show of a day. Our internet with AT&T went down early this morning along with our cell service. Fortunately, we have Comcast as a backup. Unfortunately, Comcast still sucks. Needless to say, it’s been a trying day. It has me counting down the hours to Momcation 5.0.

I should have known today was going to be a special kind of crazy. After all, it is the day the taxman cometh. One bright spot was that our menagerie was hopping this morning. We even had a new visitor. A beautiful mottled duck joined the others for a snack. The animals have gotten so used to me that they don’t fly away anymore when I bring out the food or water. Even the skittish blue jays and squirrels have started to stay.

Instead of running, I’ve been working on Zumba chores for Momcation. I haven’t taught since I tore a tendon and was diagnosed with Graves, so I’m excited to give it a go. After all, it’s only been six years. Honestly, I had forgotten both how hard and how much fun it is to put together a class. I’m a bit rusty, so hopefully I’ll be able to give my fellow moms a good workout. It’s also a test to see if my ankle and body will tolerate it. If it goes well, I’m going to start teaching again as I need a second income.

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

My family has done so much for me that I don’t even know where to start. I guess I’ll put it in broad strokes because otherwise, we’d have a War and Peace size answer here. The biggest thing was that they have supported me through life at every stage and every difficulty. I know that’s a pretty general answer, but the truth having support makes a huge difference.

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All Set

Our new highly efficient washing machine is all set and I couldn’t be happier. The hubby was able to install it quickly last night, so we could run our first load through it. Goodness, what a difference a new machine makes. No longer does it sound like something is about to take off from the laundry room. It was so loud the dogs would alternate between barking at it and being afraid of it. It’s so quiet. I love it!

I’m not quite all set for my trip to Mexico, but I’m working on that too. Delta sent a notification that there are a lot of delays with luggage, so I think I’m going to go with a carry-on only. This is a big step for me as I am notorious for over-packing. Nevertheless, I’m going to take the opportunity to make lemonade from the lemons and pack it efficiently. Well, at least I’m going to try.

The trip can’t come soon enough. I’m fried and could use a week in paradise to clear my head. Even my computer at work knows it’s time for some self-care. Fortunately, Momcation is exactly what the doctor ordered. The only things on the schedule aside from relaxing are yoga and Zumba. This will be my first time teaching since I was injured in 2018, so I’m pretty excited. Hopefully, my ankle and foot tolerate it well, so I can go back to teaching all the time.

Oh and one last thing, please join me in wishing my parents a wonderful wedding anniversary. You guys are the best! Happy Anniversary! I hope you guys do something fun to celebrate your special day.

Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

Kaplan laid me off in 2019 from a miserable job. I worked with the best people, but the job was no longer the right fit. Fortunately, it gave me time off to spend with Jake before he left for the military. When I went back to work, I went back purposefully into a role that would give me a work-life balance. My new job fits the bill perfectly. Although some days are a little too slow as I’ve watched all the documentaries on Prime.

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Excitement

Excitement as an adult is a much different animal from the excitement of a child. As a child, I was excited about things like Christmas, my birthday, and Easter. My love of candy and gifts started early. Now I’m excited by the new washing machine that’s in my garage or the crumb of the bread I baked Sunday night. Oh, and I get excited every item I add a new bird to my lifetime bird list.

I was not excited to have to buy another washing machine, but then again washing machines are a prime example of poor appliance manufacturing. Now that the kids have mostly moved out, I hope this machine will last us more than three years. Honestly, we have replaced all of our appliances at this point, so it would be nice not to have to replace one for a while.

Speaking of excitement, we had a whole menagerie at the feeder this morning. It’s become quite the community. This morning we had six ducks instead of our normal three. Amazingly, the ducks, birds, and squirrels all get along at the feeders. Usually, the squirrels would scare off the birds, but not here. Truly, it’s been the perfect way to add a pet to the household with minimal investment and energy.

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

I love to exercise. A few of my favorite ways to exercise include: running, yoga, spinning, Zumba, strength training, and Pilates.

RIP CJ Snare
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Eclipse

Apparently, there’s some sort of eclipse today, which I’m sure will bring out all the weirdos. The nut jobs and tin foil-wearing conspiracy theorists love to get worked up about these things. It’s been entertaining to read some of the crazier posts people have made. I’ll be sharing some of them here for your entertainment. My favorite posts are the ones questioning our ability to have an eclipse during a crescent moon. That and the posts say they’ll look at the sun directly because the government said they shouldn’t look at it directly.

Enough about the eclipse and silly people, I had an interesting yet quiet weekend with the Mayor and my puppies. I binge-watched Euphoria and Regime. If you haven’t watched either, you should watch both. Zendaya and Kate Winslet are supremely talented actresses. You won’t be disappointed in either’s performance. Euphoria tackles some pretty heavy subject matter but it is so well done. Zendaya’s performance as Rue, a high school student addicted to opiates, is powerful. I highly recommend you check out both.

Pictures taken in Arkansas by my friend’s daughter that was working with NASA today.

Hubby is halfway home, he has completed the first leg of his trip. Now he’s waiting to get airborne to head back to FLL. Right now it looks like his flight has a slight delay, but nothing too major. I’m back at work, watching The Heart Doctor on Acorn because I’m bored out of my gourd. Nothing is happening at work. Fortunately, it gives me plenty of time to work as publisher of my blog. Speaking of which, I’ll be adding a separate recipe and travel section shortly. The recipe section is self-explanatory. As for the travel section, it will include blogs about my travels and travel recommendations.

Photos from my friend’s house in AR, which is in the path of totality

What book could you read over and over again?

I love reading, so there are a ton of books that could be on this list. One of them is The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. Fortunately, it’s a pretty short read. The others on the list would include The Count of Monte Cristo, War and Peace, Les Miserables and The Decameron.